A project plan is an important part of the toolkit of the project manager. It is tempting to start completing tasks as soon as possible but taking time for strategy mapping can help you save resources and money. You need to have a project plan template to keep up as your project will constantly be shifting.
Project planning is an important stage of project management where project managers define the foresight and structure for the project execution stage, helping to eliminate and identify inefficiencies. This includes chalking down details of every project stage and incorporating stakeholders’ insights. In addition, the plan must be developed in a way that must facilitate the managers in recovering from setbacks.
- Project plan template in excel
- Components of the project plan template
- How to use the template
- Why Use a Template for a Project Plan?
- Tips and tricks to make the best out of the template for excel
- What is a project plan template?
- What does a project plan include?
- Why do we need a project plan?
- What are the components of a project plan template?
Project plan template in excel
This project plan template is user-friendly, simple, and easy to document that can be employed by project managers to collate all project information in one place at their fingertips. This template has all the relevant details needed by the project managers to lead the project’s progress. Also, professionals using this template do not need technical training, allowing project managers to deploy them instantaneously and easily, speeding the process of implementation. You can download this template here
Components of the project plan template
1. Company Details
The company details section has the company address, name, zip code, location, contact person’s name, and email address.
2. Project Details
This section has specifics like the project’s location, name, scope, deliverables, start, and end date, and contains all the project information.
3. Activity/Task Name
The project team working on the project can list all the tasks and activities on which they work, giving complete information to the project manager about the task pipeline of their resources.
4. Resource Assigned
Project team members working on the tasks and activities, mention names.
5. Start Date and End Date
These two fields contain the commencement date and completion date of the resources, respectively.
6. Duration (In Days)
This column is used by the resources to mention the days taken to complete a task.
7. Activity/Task Status
Resources mention their task’s status which may be “Completed”, “Under progress”, “Yet To Be Taken Up” or “On Hold”.
How to use the template
A project plan template can be as complex or as simple as you need, depending on your project planning requirements or your project management style. You can choose to include a dynamic Gantt chart or a static timeline, and focus on business goals or action items.
You can manage timelines, track project details, and visualize the project progress with this simple template. You can document start and end dates, budget details, and resources needed with this easy-to-use comprehensive template.
Why Use a Template for a Project Plan?
A project can have multiple tasks, schedules, milestones, and teams from across the globe. Hence, it can be intimidating to capture the project outline correctly in the beginning. It helps to represent the components of the board visually alongside the milestones, timelines, and objectives. The timeline requires special attention as it is the basis upon which other project components are built.
Tips and tricks to make the best out of the template for excel
From simple project planning and task management to complex portfolio and resource management, this excel template helps you increase work velocity and improve collaboration, empowering you to get more done.
The excel project plan template makes it easy to manage, plan, capture, and report on work, helping your team to get more done and to be more effective. Get real-time visibility and report on key metrics with automated workflows and reports built to keep your team informed and connected.
When teams have clear work to get done, there’s no telling how much they can achieve at the same time.
You can check this guide to create an effective project management plan in MS Word
What is a project plan template?
It is a document containing the standard project plan format. Typically, it includes a list of elements such as scope, stakeholders, estimated costs, timelines, and communication methods. The information is listed by the project manager based on the assignment.
What does a project plan include?
The project plan includes all the information required for the execution phase such as project objectives, goals, milestones, the scope of work, resources, and risks. Then, this information facilitates the project manager in monitoring and controlling the project’s progress.
Why do we need a project plan?
Project planning plays an important role in helping sponsors, stakeholders, project managers, and teams through project phases. Planning is needed to reduce risks, identify desired goals, deliver the agreed product, and avoid missed deadlines.
What are the components of a project plan template?
The components of a project plan template are:
- Company details
- Project details
- Task/activity name
- Assigned resources
- Start date
- End date
- Duration
- Activity status